Sports
GAME ON
Brayton Baer (left) and Issac Williams take part in the new video game room sponsored by NineStar Connect. Mt. Vernon Education Foundation hosted an esports expo at the middle school Wednesday to showcase how the school system can use video games to foster learning. Tom Russo | Daily Reporter”> Brayton Baer (left) and Issac Williams […]


Brayton Baer (left) and Issac Williams take part in the new video game room sponsored by NineStar Connect. Mt. Vernon Education Foundation hosted an esports expo at the middle school Wednesday to showcase how the school system can use video games to foster learning.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
By Shelley Swift | Daily Reporter
FORTVILLE — Ryan Kern didn’t expect to get emotional talking about coaching kids in playing competitive video games, but the Mt. Vernon Middle School math teacher knows how much it can mean for youths to feel part of a team.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Kern shared his experience with a group of parents, sponsors and other guests gathered at the school Wednesday afternoon, as they celebrated the first year of esports programming.
“Some parents think video games don’t lead to anything, but it leads to connections, it leads to friendships,” he said.
Not every student can play basketball, baseball or soccer, Kern shared, but not everyone can do what his esports team members can do in competitive play.
Esports, or electronic sports, is a growing field of competition in schools and colleges around the world. Some students even win esports scholarships to play video games competitively in college.
The gaming industry in general — which includes video games, esports and competitive gaming — is rapidly gaining ground, with a global audience in the hundreds of millions.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Mt. Vernon’s esports program is the first of its kind in Hancock County, but Eastern Hancock schools have since joined the fray, and are in the process of renovating a dedicated space on campus for competition.
Mt. Vernon Middle School’s program got its start after Principal Lori Katz approached Kern last year about starting a team.
“I remember it was a Wednesday (when she said), ‘I want to start an esports team, and I want you to be the coach,’” shared Kern. “I said, ‘You just made my dreams come true!’”
Kern said he’s always been an avid gamer, which has been a running joke between him and his wife ever since they started dating. Never would he have guessed he’d one day get the chance to coach gaming in school.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
The club he’s built has become highly competitive. The Gold and Black teams are ranked first and fourth in the state, respectively, among middle schools playing a game called Rocket League.
Typically, school-sanctioned esports clubs focus on a different video game each semester, competing against others playing the same game.
Mt. Vernon’s club got its start last fall playing Madden NFL.
This semester it’s playing Rocket League, described as a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer played by rocket-powered cars.
The club grew from four members last fall to roughly 10 this year, and Kern anticipates it will only grow from there.
Groundswell of support
Wednesday’s gaming open house was meant to celebrate not just the program, but the community partners who made it possible.
Kern credited his principal as well as Mt. Vernon Education Foundation and NineStar Connect for supporting the vision.
Once tapped by Katz to launch the esports club, Kern applied for a Big Ideas grant through Mt. Vernon Education Foundation worth $5,000.
The foundation’s executive director, Renee Oldham, reached out to NineStar Connect in hopes of partnering on the program.
She was blown away when the publicly-owned utility granted an additional $23,000 for the program.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Kern said the major investment elevated the program from the ordinary to the extraordinary, transforming a dedicated section in the school library into a gaming lounge that would likely be the envy of gamers of all ages.
Twice a week after school, the Marauders Esports club members file into the dimly lit NineStar Gaming Lounge in the school library to compete online against other schools.
Players line up side by side at eight different gaming stations, bantering back and forth and shouting enthusiastically whenever someone makes an especially great play.
Their gaming equipment is top of the line, with computer towers and headsets that cast an iridescent glow.
Kern credits Seth Hamilton, director of technology for Mt. Vernon Schools, for helping him purchase and install the gaming equipment and creating such a great experience for students.
Belinda Fuller, one of the parents who attended Wednesday’s open house, was happy to see her eighth-grade son Connor having so much fun interacting with his teammates.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
“I’ve always been a gamer, so he gets that from me,” said Fuller, who said playing video games is a great way to connect with others in a shared activity.
“We’ve even got his dad to start playing with us,” she said.
Connor, 14, who plays quarterback on his school’s football B team in the fall, said esports is a great way to experience what it’s like playing as a team, even for those who don’t play traditional sports.
“It’s just nice to share with people who are as passionate about it as you are,” he said.
One of his esports teammates, seventh-grader Cyrus Moore, 13, said it’s also a great way to build relationships and get to know students on a more personal level.
“It’s a good way to stay connected,” said Cyrus, who does robotics at school in the fall semester and esports in the spring.
Team unity
Kern said he’s loved watching his students’ friendships grow through the after-school gaming club.
“The community aspect has been awesome,” he said. “They’ve all grown just by watching each other play.”
As an educator, he loves the fact that esports can provide a team sport experience for students who otherwise might not get to experience that type of camaraderie.
His eyes sparkle as he talks about the possibility of starting a new esports program next year to integrate students with special needs.

Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Kern also hopes to expand Mt. Vernon’s esports program to the high school, and dreams of the possibility of local students winning college scholarships through competitive online gaming.
The National Association of Collegiate Esports, the only nonprofit membership association of colleges and universities with varsity esports programs, oversees play for more than 260 schools across the United States and Canada.
Kern said his students certainly have what it takes to compete.
On Wednesday he told guests how he was blown away by the caliber of talent while watching last year’s Rocket League world championships on TV.
“These (Mt. Vernon) kids are doing that exact same type of things they were doing in the world championships,” he said.
“I could never take them on in a game. What they can do is absolutely wonderful.”
Sports
Track and Field Travels North for Gary Wieneke Memorial
Story Links Gary Wieneke Memorial Demirjian Park | Champaign, Ill. May 2-3 | 11:30am (Fri) 10am (Sat) Schedule (TBA) | Live Stats ON-TAP: The Eastern Illinois Indoor Track and Field team is heading north up I-57 to participate in the University of Illinois Gary Wieneke Memorial at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill., […]

Gary Wieneke Memorial
Demirjian Park | Champaign, Ill.
May 2-3 | 11:30am (Fri) 10am (Sat)
Schedule (TBA) | Live Stats
ON-TAP: The Eastern Illinois Indoor Track and Field team is heading north up I-57 to participate in the University of Illinois Gary Wieneke Memorial at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill., on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. This marks the second time this calendar year that Eastern Illinois has traveled to the University of Illinois for a Track and Field events as they competed in the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events on Friday, Jan. 24.
Day one action will showcase only a few events from each the sprinters, jumpers, distance, and field athletes. Friday will kick off with only four events on the oval –100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 200m dash, and 5000m run. Meanwhile, field events and jumps will get started with hammer throw, javelin, and the triple jump.
Saturday’s will feature the remainder of the events throughout the day, ending with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay in the evening.
EIU EARLY BIRD RECAP: The Eastern Illinois track and field team wrapped up a successful weekend at the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park, highlighted by multiple top finishes and personal or season bests.
Graduate distance runner Mackenzie Aldridge also competed Thursday at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, placing 18th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:37.85.
Isabella Fabrizio opened the meet strong for the Panthers, finishing seventh in the shot put with a mark of 13.03 meters and 10th in the hammer throw with a personal-best 50.83 meters. Sam Bradbury followed with a 15.29-meter toss in the men’s shot put, also placing seventh.
Distance runners Kylie Haacke, Rylea Borgic and Cale Smith continued their strong seasons. Haacke ran a personal-best 17:44.89 to finish sixth in the 5,000. Borgic earned a personal best and placed fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 11:03.22. Smith won the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 9:18.16.
In the high jump, Kenyetietta Quinn won the “C” flight with a personal-best jump of 1.65 meters, while Porter Conroy placed fifth in the “B” flight at 1.85 meters. Abby Venhaus took third in the long jump with a season-best 5.71 meters as Abraham Johnson finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 15.26 meters.
Sprinter Daniel Lacy headlined the Panthers on the track, winning the 400-meter dash with a personal-best time of 46.39 seconds.
OVC TOP THREE: Ten Panther athletes, along with the men’s 4x100m Relay teams, currently sit in one of the top three spots in the OVC for their respective events.
Kylie Haacke’s performance in the 10,000m run at the WashU Distance Carnival has earned her the third spot on the podium in the OVC, as Rylea Borgic’s time of 11:03.22 in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Louisville has also earned her the second place spot in the conference. Cale Smith also recorded a strong 3000m Steeplechase finish at the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open, crossing the finish line in 9:18.16 to sit second in the OVC.
The Panther men’s 4x100m relay team, consisting of Jahleel Perrin, Daniel Lacy, Shawn Lacy, and Isreal Jackson posted a season best time last weekend, crossing the finish line in 40.93 to slide into the second place spot in the conference.
Daniel Lacy currently holds the second-place spot the 200m dash and the 4th place spot in the 100m dash. Lacy posted a time of 21.22 in the 200m at the Pacesetter Invitational and followed up with a time of 10.63 at the Normal Invite. His 400m time of 46.93 also puts him at the top of the 400m dash list in the OVC.
Abraham Johnson continues to build his freshman resume, as he currently holds the first-place spot in the triple jump after his performance at the Normal Invite on April, 11th. Taryn Tarquin also manufactured success in the sand pit, sliding into the third place spot in the OVC in the triple jump after posting a mark of 12.13m at the Gibson Invitational. In addition, Elijah Skutt moves his way onto the high jump leaderboards, posting a height of 2.01m at the Normal Invite to slide into the third place spot.
Hallee Thomas also had a successful home meet, securing the third-place spot in the conference in the 400m hurdles after posting a time of 1:02.79.
Sam Bradbury and Alex Stout fill out the leaderboard for the Panthers in the field events, as Bradbury holds third for the discus Stout sits in third for shot put.
NEXT UP: The Panthers are back in action next weekend for their final regular season meet of the 2025. EIU is slotted to head east to Terre Haute, Ind. for the third time this outdoor season to compete in the Sycamore Open at Gibson Track & Field Complex on Friday, May 9th.
Eastern Illinois will then prepare for the OVC Outdoor Championships the following weekend, hosted on May 15-17 at Abe Stuber Track Complex on the campus of Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Sports
2025 USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship Bracket Announced
Story Links Rock Island, IL – May 1 – The USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship returns this season with competition headed to Rock Island, IL from May 3-4. Augustana College earned hosting honors after claiming the 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association Conference Championship. They will be joined in […]


Rock Island, IL – May 1 – The USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship returns this season with competition headed to Rock Island, IL from May 3-4. Augustana College earned hosting honors after claiming the 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association Conference Championship. They will be joined in the competition by CWPA runner-up Washington & Jefferson, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions Pomona-Pitzer, and SCIAC runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Admission for the tournament is $12 for the day or $20 for the weekend. To purchase tickets, click here. All games will stream live on Overnght with live stats available courtesy of The FOSH. Team rosters can be accessed here.
Pool Location:
Lindberg Center
Anne Greve Lund Natatorium
Rock Island, IL 61201
Game Schedule (all times Central):
Saturday May 3rd:
2:00 PM: Pomona-Pitzer vs. Washington & Jefferson (Live Stats)
4:00 PM: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps vs. Augustana (Live Stats)
Sunday May 4th:
10:30 AM: 3rd Place Game
12:30 PM: 1st Place Game
Sports
Breakthrough Year For Girls Beach Volleyball Team From WHS
WHS Beach Volleyball Team — (Front row) Carley Treanor, Grace Kouf, Brielle Dorish and Maddie Lee; and (back row) Faith DiMaria, Fabiana Rumbos, Olivia Roque, Isabela Duque, Gabriella Marotta, Jill St. Leger, Erica Bojanowski, Juliana Nunes, Nicole Koch, Madeline Martinez, Kristin Haggerty and Audrey Keefe. It has been a memorable and historic season for the […]


It has been a memorable and historic season for the girls beach volleyball team from Wellington High School.
On Thursday, April 24, Wellington’s 17-member squad won its first-ever Florida High School Athletic Association district tournament title when the Wolverines defeated the Cobras from Park Vista High School, 4-1.
That victory earned Wellington an automatic berth in the FHSAA’s Class 3A state tournament. That District 14 title victory against Park Vista earned Wellington the No. 3 seed in Region 4. As luck would have it, Park Vista earned an at-large bid, based on its strong ranking, and was awarded the sixth seed, which pitted Wellington against Park Vista for the third time this season in a regional quarterfinal clash on Tuesday, April 29. Both prior matches against Park Vista were won by Wellington.
In the regional quarterfinal match, Wellington defeated Park Vista for the third time this season, 4-1. That win propelled Wellington (13-3) to a Class 3A, Region 4 semifinal encounter against second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas from Fort Lauderdale. That match was played on Wednesday, April 30 in Pompano Beach. The result was unavailable at press time.
For this year’s squad from WHS, led by head coach Sergio Rios, the ultimate goal is to reach the FHSAA’s Class 3A state finals for beach volleyball, which will be held in Tallahassee on Florida State University’s beach volleyball courts on May 9-10.
Sports
High school girls’ beach volleyball: Southern Section semifinal results
SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS THURSDAY’S RESULTS SEMIFINALS DIVISION 1 Mira Costa 5, Los Alamitos 0 Redondo Union 3, JSerra 2 DIVISION 2 Millikan 4, South Torrance 1 Long Beach Wilson 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 2 DIVISION 3 Anaheim Canyon 4, Campbell Hall 1 Long Beach Poly 3, Linfield Christian 2 SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE FINALS […]

SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
SEMIFINALS
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa 5, Los Alamitos 0
Redondo Union 3, JSerra 2
DIVISION 2
Millikan 4, South Torrance 1
Long Beach Wilson 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 2
DIVISION 3
Anaheim Canyon 4, Campbell Hall 1
Long Beach Poly 3, Linfield Christian 2
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
FINALS
At Long Beach City College
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa vs. Redondo Union, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 2
Millikan vs. Long Beach Wilson, 11:30 a.m.
DIVISION 3
Anaheim Canyon vs. Long Beach Poly, 10 a.m.
Sports
Let’s Ketch-up with the best Nuggets – The Knight Crier
You have already seen where to get the best french fries, but what are french fries without nuggets to go with them? So, here is our rating for the best fast food chicken nuggets. Chick-fil-A (10/10): The ideal chicken nugget. Crispy, tender, tasty. It’s hard to do a chicken nugget better than Chick-fil-A does. Priced […]

You have already seen where to get the best french fries, but what are french fries without nuggets to go with them? So, here is our rating for the best fast food chicken nuggets.
Chick-fil-A (10/10): The ideal chicken nugget. Crispy, tender, tasty. It’s hard to do a chicken nugget better than Chick-fil-A does. Priced at 5 nuggets for $3.49, which equals 70 cents a nugget, you’re definitely getting your bang for your buck.
Wendy’s (3/10): Incredibly bad. Maybe it was the fact that Kyle ordered the spicy nuggets instead of the regular ones, or maybe Wendy’s was just having a bad day. Chicken was a weird texture and very minimal crisp. $2.75 for 4 nuggets, or 69 cents a nug, you’d be much better off finding a penny and spending your 70 cents at Chick-fil-A.
Taco Bell (7/10): Going in not even knowing Taco Bell had chicken nuggets, we came out surprisingly satisfied. Very crispy outside, very tender inside, a nice touch of spice. Definitely a sleeper pick. 5 nuggets for $3.99, or almost 80 cents per nugget and the second most expensive nug of the list.
McDonald’s (6.5/10): Everyone knows the McDonald’s nugget. Tasted a little fake, although a very high quality crisp redeems them a little. $4.99 for 6 nuggets and 83 cents/nug, you’re not getting the best value here.
Burger King (7.5/10): Another sleeper pick, we went into BK with low expectations but they blew those away. Similar to McDonald’s but better, very tasteful chicken and a slightly above average crisp. The real value comes in the cost: $1.99 for 4 nuggets, and almost 50 cents a nugget, you’re getting the a great nugget for a low cost.
Wawa (5/10): You would probably assume that Wawa’s chicken nuggets would be average. You would be right. An odd consistency, but not bad. Had a little spice, a nice touch.

Best | Worst | ||||
Chick-Fil-A
10/10 |
Burger King
7/10 |
Taco Bell
6.5/10 |
McDonald’s
6/10 |
Wawa
5/10 |
Wendy’s
3/10 |
Sports
Manor College Debuts Women’s Flag Football, Men’s Volleyball for 25-26 Academic Year
Interest in both sports from both current and prospective students is incredibly high, Athletic Director John Dempster said. JENKINTOWN – Manor College will debut Women’s Flag Football and Men’s Volleyball for the 2025-26 school year, the institution announced. Both sports are expected to play their first home games on campus in 2026. “I am excited […]

Interest in both sports from both current and prospective students is incredibly high, Athletic Director John Dempster said.
JENKINTOWN – Manor College will debut Women’s Flag Football and Men’s Volleyball for the 2025-26 school year, the institution announced. Both sports are expected to play their first home games on campus in 2026.
“I am excited to launch these new sports here at Manor College,” John Dempster, Manor College Athletic Director, said. “Women’s Flag Football, in particular, is getting extremely popular and I want Manor College to be a trailblazer for this sport in our area.”
Women’s Flag Football is an emerging sport locally, Dempster said. The PIAA sanctioned the sport for the Spring 2025 season and roughly 1,600 players are members of 65 teams across eastern Pennsylvania, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
On the collegiate level, the Atlantic East Conference, which includes teams from Eastern University, Holy Family University and Neumann University, announced their recognition of women’s flag football as an NCAA sport.
An announcement on a head coach is expected in the near future. Dempster expects the team to field a roster between 10 and 20 players.
The institution already has interest from students already enrolled at Manor. Tori Simmons, a freshman at Manor College studying Veterinary Technology, played flag football for two years while attending Cheltenham High School.
“Girls I played with in high school were familiar with football and it made them want to come out and play,” said Simmons, who currently plays on the women’s basketball team at Manor. “There’s a strong community you gain from playing football. I’m excited to play again at Manor.”
Simmons, who played wide receiver at Cheltenham, plans to play for the Blue Jays next Spring.
Men’s Volleyball
The Blue Jays begin their first Men’s Volleyball season in Spring of 2026. A coach has not yet been named.
Men’s Volleyball has been an official sport sponsored by the NCAA since 2018, and the NJCAA region 19 features eight teams. While Manor College is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the team would begin as an independent. A proposal to the Eastern States Athletic Conference, of which Manor College is a founding member, is expected in the near future.
The Blue Jays have been home to a Women’s Volleyball team for several decades, most recently competing in the ESAC and USCAA. A unisex volleyball club featuring informal games on campus helped to fuel interest in a men’s team.
The sport continues to grow as well on the high school level, with the top 25 teams from PIAA Division 1 Boys Volleyball hailing from Bucks and Montgomery County.
“With our current student body and new recruits coming in, we are hoping to be competitive in Men’s Volleyball from the beginning,” Dempster said.
About Manor College Athletics
Manor College offers intercollegiate competition in 10 sports: Baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, cross country and track and field. Manor College is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern States Athletic Conference.
For more information on Manor College athletics, visit www.manorbluejays.com or email athletics@manor.edu. Prospective athletes may additionally fill out this form.
Learn More:
Schedule a visit to Manor College
Apply to Manor College
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